Robot Overlords and Phone Chargers, Is Anything Safe?!
1. 'Twitter' Too Basic of Name For A Man With Child Named Æ A-12
Twitter, Inc. has changed its name to X Corp., as revealed in a court filing related to a lawsuit against Twitter and Facebook by far-right activist Laura Loomer. Note that since Twitter is no longer a public company, it wouldn’t have had to report such updates to the SEC otherwise. Elon Musk, who famously bought Twitter for a cool $44 billion, has big dreams of building the ultimate app, X, inspired by China's WeChat. We wouldn’t hold our breath for the X app anytime soon… we’re still waiting on our pre-ordered Cyber Truck for crying out loud.
2. Not A Spam Call: Hyundai Motor Group Actually Wants to Extend Your EV Warranty
Hyundai Motor Group has promised to blow $18 billion on South Korea's EV industry by 2030, all while making an annual EV production of 1.51 million units in Korea and a staggering 3.64 million units globally by 2030. The announcement was made while they were breaking ground for Kia's first designated EV plant, which they claim will only cost them a paltry sum of $756 million. The plant will be producing purpose-built vehicles like robotaxis and delivery vans, which we assume will eventually become our robot overlords. (Apparently, we’re feeling dramatic today.) The President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, has vowed to support the auto industry to prepare for the coming "vehicles of the future," which is the kind of investment that makes us want to dust off our old Jetsons DVDs and start watching them again.
3. Shock and Awe: Elizabeth Holmes Will Actually Have to Go to Jail
Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO of Theranos who was found guilty of four fraud counts, has been denied her request to stay out of prison on bail by Judge Edward Davila. The infamous fraudster is expected to go to prison on April 27 for a sentence of more than 11 years. Despite her lawyers' attempts to delay her incarceration, it is unlikely that her appeal to the 9th Circuit Court will succeed. Theranos, a once-promising Silicon Valley startup worth more than $9 billion, claimed to revolutionize blood testing but its technology never worked and now, its disgraced chief officers are preparing for the big house.
4. ‘Juice-Jacking’ Added to List Of Things to Be Paranoid About
The FBI's Denver office has issued a warning that using public phone charging stations can be a risk to both safety and security. It explains that criminals can use public USB ports to install malware and monitoring software, which can give them access to a device when it's plugged in, potentially exporting data and passwords. We always knew that using public charging stations was risky, but we thought the only danger was accidentally picking up someone else's phone when we were done charging. To stay safe, the FBI recommends bringing your own charger and USB cord, using an electrical outlet like it’s the stone ages, or using a charging-only cable or a portable charger or external battery. More than 50,000 people reported being victims of personal data breaches in 2021, resulting in losses of over $515 million, according to an FBI Internet Crime Report. However, the real question is: will you risk a dead phone on your next flight or having your online identity stolen? Tough call.
5. White House Asks Siri How to Regulate A.I., Settles for Public Opinion Instead
The Biden administration is seeking suggestions from the public on how to regulate artificial intelligence (A.I.) systems to ensure that they are legal, ethical, and safe. ChatGPT, an AI program that recently took the world by storm, has attracted U.S. lawmakers' attention as it has become the fastest-growing consumer application in history with more than 100 million monthly active users. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is conducting a study to identify measures that could be put in place to guarantee the trustworthiness of AI systems which will help the administration establish a comprehensive federal government approach to managing AI-related risks and opportunities. We’re glad NTIA is finally taking A.I. seriously decades after it has already caused numerous ethical and moral dilemmas. Better late than never, we suppose…